About the auther:
Jennifer is from Gulf Breeze, Florida and attended Ole Miss for a
Bachelors of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics. She is currently
completing her Dietetic Internship at Vanderbilt University and hopes
to pursue a job teaching youth about the importance of nutrition and
health in their everyday life.

H ealthy Table

Join the Slow Cooker Movement!

By Jennifer Mitchell

A
Growing up, my family was always on the go. Whether it was school,
sports or volunteer activities it was difficult to prepare dinner. We
valued sitting down as a family around the dinner table and this was
possible with the use of the slow cooker. Believe it or not, the terms
slow cooker and short on time actually go together! A great attribute
about using a slow cooker is the flexibility it offers. You can toss
the ingredients into the slow cooker that morning, cook it all
afternoon, and serve it the same evening.

Food may be frozen or fresh and does not require pre-cooking. The
majority of the time there are even leftovers that can be frozen and
stored for busy nights that you just can’t seem to pull a dinner
together. However, the best qualities about using a slow cooker are
healthy cooking methods , variety of recipes, and hearty meals that
can be “cooked all day while the cook is away.”

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, we spend 8.7 hours
working and an average of 7.7 hours sleeping each day! There are
barely enough hours in the day for an on-the-go family.

My family joined the slow cooker movement and enjoyed the bounty of
farm fresh local foods all year round. Check out the seasonal recipes
below so you too can join the slow cooker movement and enjoy
dinnertime with your family!

Fall: Slow Cooker Salmon
Serves: 4, 4oz filets
Ingredients:
• 1 pound salmon filets, skin left on
• 2 tablespoons lemon pepper seasoning
• Sliced lemon
• 1 to 1 1/2 cups liquid, like water, broth, wine, beer, cider, or a mix
Instructions:
• Sprinkle lemon pepper seasoning on salmon and rub it in with your fingers.
• Place lemon slices on the bottom of the slow cooker.
• Place one layer of salmon in the slow cooker, skin-side down. Top with more slices of lemon.
• Pour 1 to 1 ½ cup of liquid (your choice) over the salmon.
• Cover and cook on low for 1 to 2 hours.
• Remove from the slow cooker.
• Serve immediately or cool and refrigerate for 3 to 4 days. Store leftover salmon in an airtight container.

Jennifer is from Gulf Breeze, Florida and attended Ole Miss for a
Bachelors of Science in Nutrition and Dietetics. She is currently
completing her Dietetic Internship at Vanderbilt University and hopes
to pursue a job teaching youth about the importance of nutrition and
health in their everyday life.